Collapsible box or crate.



PATENTED JUNE 30, 1908.

A. F. MILLER.

GOLLAPSIBLE BOX 0R CRATE.

APIfLIOATION FILED JAN. 31, 1907.

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No. 892,283. PATENTED JUNE 30, 1908. A. F. MILLER GOLLAPSIBLE' BOX OR CRATE.

- APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31, 1907.

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COLLAPSIBLE BOX OR CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 30, 1908.

Application filed January 31, 1907. Serial No. 355,171.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDY F. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Henderson, in the county of Chester and State of Tennessee,have invented new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Boxes or Grates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to collapsible boxes or crates designed especially for use as a poultry coop, and has for its objects to provide a comparatively simple, inexpensive device of this character which may be readily set up for use or folded into compact form for shipment or storage, one wherein the parts of the coop will, when in either position, be securely locked against disarrangement.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the novel features of construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a coop embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical, longitudinal section taken centrally through the coop. Fig. 4 is a detail, perspective view of one of the spring locking members. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the coop with the side walls detached and the end walls folded outward. Fig. 6 is a plan view, showing the coop in partially folded condition. Fig. 7 is a similar view, showing the coop completely collapsed or folded.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the coop embodies a bottom 1 composed preferably of slats, as shown, attached to bottom side bars or rails 2 provided with vertical openings or sockets 3 at points adjacent their ends transverse bearing openings 4 in which are journaled end pintles or trunnions 5 provided on the lower bars or rails 6 included in the end walls 7 of the coop which also includes side walls 8 having lower bars or rails 9 pivotally connected by hinges 10 to the inner faces of the rails 2 and provided with depending pins or studs 11 adapted to enter the sockets 3.

The coop is provided with a cover 12 which, to ether with the side and-end walls, is in the form of a skeleton frame having a covering 13 of wire netting or gauze, there being formed at the center of the cover, the side and end bars of which are provided with openings or sockets to receive pins or studs 14 projecting upwardly from the side and end walls, an opening 15 closed by means of a slide 16, while attached to the side rails of the cover are depending spring engaging members or clips 17 adapted, when the cover is in applied position, to engage beneath the top rails 18 of the side walls 8. The spring clips are provided with finger pieces 17, which serves to operate the same.

In practice, when the coop is in unfolded condition the end and side walls stand in vertical position with the pins 11 seated in the sockets 3 and with the pins 14 entered into the openings provided for the purpose in the side and end rails of the cover 12, which will be maintained in position owing to engagement of the spring catches 17 with the rails 18, as heretofore ex lained, it being noted that under these conc itions the cover may be readily removed and that the walls 8 will stand in upright position through engagement of the ins 11 with the openings 3. l/Vhen it is desired to collapse or fold the crate for shi ment or storage the cover is removed,

the en wall 7 folded inward onto the bottom 1, and the side walls 8 folded downward onto the end walls, as seen more clearly in Fig. 7, after which the cover is laced over the side walls and secured for ho ding the box in col lapsed condition owing to engagement of the spring catches 17 with the rails 9. It will be particularly observed that the rails 9 will be securely fixed in either folded or unfolded condition.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: r

A colla sible crate comprising a bottom with longitudinal side rails having vertical sockets therein arranged approximately at their opposite ends and at their middle portions, said side rails also having. transverse sockets adjacent their opposite ends, skeleton end frames having their lower bars provided with trunnions on opposite ends which serve to be pivotally mounted in said end transverse sockets of said side rails, said end frames having pins which project from the opposite ends of their top bars, skeleton side frames having their bottom bars hinged to the side rails of the bottom of the crate, the bottom bars of the side frames being pro vided with central pins to enga e the said central vertical sockets of said side rails, the top bars of the side frames having central and opposite end pins, a skeleton cover having its side and end rails provided with sockets to engage the pins of the top bars of the side and end frames, an opening in the cover the crate in an upright or collapsed position, having a sliding door therefor, a gauze for substantially as specified.

covering all of the skeleton frames, depend- In testimony whereof, I affix my signature ing spring catches pivoted to the, side rails of in presence of tWo Witnesses. I

5 the cover to permit of their being clamped to ANDY F. MILLER.

the under faces of the top bars of the side l/Vitnesses: frames, fingers on the catches for operating W. T. LINDSEY,

the same, and said catches serving to hold 0. L. PARRISH. 

